Outlook is having difficulty with images and sometimes omits them altogether due to a bug introduced in version 2604 Build 19929.20164. Microsoft admitted in a support article that, instead of an embedded image in an email, Outlook might show a placeholder with the error message: "The linked image cannot be displayed. The file may have been moved, renamed, or deleted. Verify that the link points to the correct file and location." Occasionally, it might show nothing at all. The problem is particularly irksome for affected users whose signatures include an image. Where there might be a company logo, there is, at best, an error indicating that something has gone wrong. Microsoft provided some steps to check whether missing images are being caused by the bug, although the process, which involves looking at the source, might be beyond users who are trying to send out a newsletter and wondering where the pictures have gone. Until a fix is issued, the workaround is to "avoid setting images with Wrap Text with Top and Bottom." Only Outlook Classic is affected, and a cynic might wonder if this, and other recent problems such as Quick Steps being grayed out, are symptomatic of Microsoft paying less attention to the venerable email client in favor of New Outlook (or whatever it is being called today). The good news is that, according to Microsoft, "images in the original message should be fine once a fix is released for this issue." However, the bad news is that "Replies or Forwards to these [affected] messages may permanently lack the image because it did not get included." Image handling is basic, and it's difficult to understand how it was missed during testing. We asked Microsoft what happened, but it has not responded. In the meantime, the workaround will suffice. Unless, of course, you work for a business whose logo is a white box with a red cross and what looks like some error text. ®

Pakistani mediators believe permanent ceasefire within reach although major points of disagreement remain

Future control over the strait of Hormuz and a demand from Washington that Tehran export its stockpile of highly enriched uranium remain key stumbling blocks, as Pakistani mediators continued to seek a permanent ceasefire they believe is still within reach between the US and Iran.

Meanwhile, Israel and Iran each fear the other is about to launch a surprise attack on its territory while the US president, Donald Trump, continues to insist a fresh assault on Iran is an option available to him.

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AMSTERDAM (ANP) - Een jongen is vrijdagochtend in Amsterdam korte tijd ontvoerd door drie mannen, meldt de politie. Na een achtervolging door agenten is hij bevrijd en zijn de drie mannen aangehouden. De leeftijd van de jongen is niet bekendgemaakt.

De politie kreeg rond 08.50 uur meerdere meldingen dat een jongen op de Zeeburgerdijk, in de oostelijke wijk Zeeburg, tegen zijn wil in een auto werd gesleurd. Agenten zagen de auto vervolgens op de A10 richting Amsterdam-Noord en reden die klem. Dat gebeurde ter hoogte van de afslag S115 Durgerdam. Het slachtoffer zat vastgebonden op de achterbank.

De drie mannen zijn meegenomen en zitten vast op verdenking van vrijheidsberoving en mishandeling. Ze zitten in volledige beperkingen en mogen alleen contact met hun advocaat hebben.

De recherche en Forensische Opsporing doen onderzoek en hopen informatie te ontvangen. Dat kan van getuigen zijn, of van camera's of dashcams die hebben gefilmd vlak voor of tijdens het incident.

Het ’tijdgeestargument’ is geen neutrale historische duiding, maar een machtsinstrument. Het verschuift de bewijslast naar slachtoffers, schrijft Christel Don.

europeanspaceagency posted a photo:

The sandy and rocky terrain of the Sahara desert in central Algeria is featured in these images captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.

The images show the extraordinary landscape within the Tanezrouft Basin, one of the most desolate parts of the Sahara desert. Known for its soaring temperatures and its lack of water and vegetation, the region is often referred to as the ‘Land of Terror’.

These two images were processed in false colour by selecting specific spectral bands from the shortwave and near-infrared channels that can be used for classifying and monitoring geological features. In extremely arid regions such as this with little or no vegetation, this band combination enhances the contrast between different surface materials, making the geological and hydrological patterns easier to distinguish compared to natural-colour imagery.

Here, the colours represent the varying mineral composition of the surface, which is clearly visible owing to the lack of vegetation. The shades of red and brown denote bare sandstone outcrops, steep canyon walls and stone plateaus. Exposed sandstone strata of concentric rings create stunning patterns predominantly in the top left.

Areas displaying colours from cyan to white are salt flats, evaporite basins, dry riverbeds and multistorey sand dunes known as ‘ergs’. The distinctive feature that stands out as a bright white bouquet of flowers in the centre of the image is Erg Mehedjibat, which is made up of a cluster of small star dunes that grow upward rather than across.

In mid-February 2026, powerful winds triggered a lot of Saharan dust to blow across Algeria. The image on the right, captured on 14 February, shows this massive dust cloud. The false-colour combination clearly reveals a distinct dust veil, rendered in cyan hues, extending from the top-left across the centre of the image. The sharp, rocky landscape that was visible in the left image from 9 February, is here washed out or almost completely masked by the storm.

Dust from the Sahara can be carried by strong winds over vast distances, contributing to poor air quality hazardous to human health. Satellites are a valuable tool to observe large areas of desert, and can track and help predict the movement of dust storms for early-warning alerts.

CREDIT
contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2026), processed by ESA

LICENCE
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO or ESA Standard Licence (content can be used under either licence)

europeanspaceagency posted a photo:

Group photo with the members of ESA's astronaut reserve in the training hall of ESA’s European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany. Left to right: Arnaud Prost, Sara García Alonso, Aleš Svoboda, Meganne Christian, ESA’s Director of Human and Robotic Exploration Daniel Neuenschwander, Amelie Schoenenwald, Carmen Possnig, John McFall, Anthea Comellini and Andrea Patassa.

In spring 2026, the members of ESA’s astronaut reserve returned to EAC for the final block of their training. The Astronaut Reserve Training (ART) programme prepares members of the European astronaut reserve by providing the broad technical, operational and scientific foundation required to support future human spaceflight opportunities.

CREDIT: ESA – G. Zito

europeanspaceagency posted a photo:

The sandy and rocky terrain of the Sahara desert in central Algeria is featured in these images captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.

The images show the extraordinary landscape within the Tanezrouft Basin, one of the most desolate parts of the Sahara desert. Known for its soaring temperatures and its lack of water and vegetation, the region is often referred to as the ‘Land of Terror’.

These two images were processed in false colour by selecting specific spectral bands from the shortwave and near-infrared channels that can be used for classifying and monitoring geological features. In extremely arid regions such as this with little or no vegetation, this band combination enhances the contrast between different surface materials, making the geological and hydrological patterns easier to distinguish compared to natural-colour imagery.

Here, the colours represent the varying mineral composition of the surface, which is clearly visible owing to the lack of vegetation. The shades of red and brown denote bare sandstone outcrops, steep canyon walls and stone plateaus. Exposed sandstone strata of concentric rings create stunning patterns predominantly in the top left.

Areas displaying colours from cyan to white are salt flats, evaporite basins, dry riverbeds and multistorey sand dunes known as ‘ergs’. The distinctive feature that stands out as a bright white bouquet of flowers in the centre of the image is Erg Mehedjibat, which is made up of a cluster of small star dunes that grow upward rather than across.

In mid-February 2026, powerful winds triggered a lot of Saharan dust to blow across Algeria. The image on the right, captured on 14 February, shows this massive dust cloud. The false-colour combination clearly reveals a distinct dust veil, rendered in cyan hues, extending from the top-left across the centre of the image. The sharp, rocky landscape that was visible in the left image from 9 February, is here washed out or almost completely masked by the storm.

Dust from the Sahara can be carried by strong winds over vast distances, contributing to poor air quality hazardous to human health. Satellites are a valuable tool to observe large areas of desert, and can track and help predict the movement of dust storms for early-warning alerts.

CREDIT
contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2026), processed by ESA

LICENCE
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO or ESA Standard Licence (content can be used under either licence)

europeanspaceagency posted a photo:

The Vega-C rocket pierces through the clouds after a liftoff from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana at 00:52 local time (04:52 BST/05:52 CEST) on 19 May 2026. Vega-C carried the Smile mission to space on flight VV29.

Smile (the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) is a joint mission between the European Space Agency and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The Vega-C programme is led by ESA, working with Avio as prime contractor and design authority. It ensures that Europe has versatile and independent access to space.

[Image description: A night-time photo with a long exposure showing a rocket trail through the clouds. In the foreground is a silhouette of a tower.]

CREDIT: ESA-S. Corvaja